Red eyes are usually the easiest way to determine whether someone’s smoked cannabis in the past few hours or not. For the majority of cannabis smokers, red eyes are a guaranteed occurrence, while some are lucky enough to be less susceptible to the telltale. Weed making your eyes red is a common phenomenon and can depend greatly upon the quality and quantity of consumed marijuana.

It is safe to assume that red eyes after smoking weed is a normal and non-dangerous side effect of marijuana consumption. It is the white area of the eye that becomes red (also known as sclera) and there is no immediate danger caused by this. While many people may assume that first-time smokers are experiencing an allergic reaction due to their weed red eyes, this is untrue and is a normal incidence when smoking cannabis. In fact, weed red eyes are not directly caused by the act of smoking itself.

Why Does Weed Make Your Eyes Red?

Although many people still have a firm belief on the fact that red eyes after smoking cannabis are due to some irritation in the eyes caused by the smoke, it has been proven that this is untrue. So, why do your eyes get red when you smoke weed? Weed red eyes are not related to the act of smoking as no matter what method an individual chooses to consume cannabis, their eyes will still turn red. Whether you use a joint, edibles, dab or vape, red eyes are almost inevitable as it is a direct side effect of the THC present in cannabis.

After the consumption of a cannabis product such as concentrate, flower or edible, there is an apparent increase in blood pressure or heart rate. This is caused by the plant’s cannabinoids or the chemical components that bring forth multiple therapeutic and medicinal benefits of consuming cannabis. When these chemicals initially interact with the body, the immediate bodily response is an increase in blood pressure and heart rate which can be compared to other physical activities such as intense exercise or sex.

If the pharmaceutical benefits of cannabis are important to you, then it is important to know that the main cause for marijuana red eyes is also the main reason why the plant is used as a popular drug for glaucoma. The amount of THC present in cannabis tends to lower the blood pressure of users, leading to dilated blood vessels and capillaries. The ocular capillaries dilating increases blood flow towards the eyes and reduces intraocular pressure. Redness in the eyes is caused due to the blood flow, and the decreased pressure benefits the body in relaxing ways.

Since this bodily reaction is highly dependent upon the THC itself, it is easily noted that smoking a low THC strain may result in little to no weed red eyes but ingesting high levels of THC can immediately lead to blood red eyes. This biological explanation of why eyes become red after smoking weed also provides a logical explanation as to how red eyes still occur, even if cannabis has not been smoked. Ingesting cannabis or THC can be in any form, such as edibles, dabbing or vape.

Generally, the human body can take up to ten minutes to reach the normal heart rate again and for blood pressure to begin decreasing gradually. Since blood pressure takes its time to go back to normal levels, the blood red eyes stick around for a long time after you’ve smoked or consumed cannabis in any form.

With that being said, it is also important to note that some individuals may experience an allergic reaction from the consumption of cannabis or to the smoke itself, which could result in weed red eyes as well. However, a reaction to the smoke would occur in any case whether or not cannabis is being smoked. The same physical reaction could be observed for tobacco, incense or other types of harmful smoke present in the atmosphere.

Is It Good to Have Red Eyes After Smoking Weed?

Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), or the chemical component that is responsible for the intoxication as well as benefits associated with smoking cannabis, is what directly causes variations in blood pressure and how red your eyes become after smoking. The higher the concentration of THC in your cannabis product, the stronger the effects experienced and the redder your eyes tend to become.

Therefore, having blood red eyes after smoking is a sign that your cannabis has a highly potential of cannabinoid content.

While this may give you red eyes that make it very easy to assume that you’ve smoked or ingested cannabis, the high THC content also means that your cannabis product is of high quality and is very unlikely to result in any negative side effects. Red eyes caused by the cannabis will only last for a few hours, whereas the medicinal benefits caused by the consumption will remain in your body for a very long time.

However, if having red eyes still concerns you, you can always keep some eye drops at hand.

Getting Rid of Red Eyes After Smoking Weed

After successfully understanding the reason why your eyes become red after smoking weed, you may still want to get rid of this side effect. The simplest way to do this is through the use of any over-the-counter eye drops that are produced specifically for small eye allergies, irritation or redness. All variations of eye drops tend to include tetryzoline as a main component, which helps the dilated blood vessels to constrict and go back to normal in a short period of time.

While most of these medicines are safe for use, it is still recommended to either consult a medical professional or read the user manual that is present inside the box of eye drops. If medicines are not your go-to, there are many other things that could help ease the redness of eyes. Blood vessels in the body can easily be constructed by the consumption of caffeine, chocolate, sodium or licorice.

Since cannabis ingestion slows down the fabrication of saliva, it can be easily interpreted that other side effects of weed are also caused due to a lack of water intake. Although smoking cannabis can result in the sensation of a dry mouth, dehydration is definitely not a cause for weed red eyes. Therefore, consuming large amounts of water is unlikely to cause any changes in the redness of eyes.